25. Low Back Pain
Exams Questions with
Complete Solutions
User [Date] [Course title]
, Radiculopathy sx? - Correct Answer: - LMN dysfunction (affects nerve roots as they exit the spinal cord)
- Weakness
- Hyporeflexia
Myelopathy sx? - Correct Answer: - UMN dysfunction (affects the spinal cord itself)
- Hyperreflexia
- Loss of coordination
- Clonus (spasticity)
Tx of Non-specific LBP - Correct Answer: NSAIDs, education, posture, stretching, PT, ice therapy
Resolves w/i 4-6 wks
A 55-year-old male presents to your primary care clinic with complaints of chronic low back pain that
has been bothering him for the past several months. He describes the pain as dull and achy, primarily
concentrated in the lower back. The pain is *worse in the morning*. There is no history of trauma or
recent injuries. On examination, there is reduced lumbar spine flexibility, and the patient experiences
discomfort during lumbar extension. Neurological examination is unremarkable, with no signs of
radiculopathy. Imaging studies, including X-rays and MRI, reveal *degenerative changes* in the
*intervertebral discs*. - Correct Answer: Spondylosis (local arthropathy)
A *70-year-old postmenopausal* woman presents to the emergency department with a complaint of
sudden-onset mid-back pain. She reports that the pain began after she slipped and fell in her kitchen
earlier in the day. The pain is localized to the thoracic spine and *radiates around her ribs*. On exam,
there is tenderness over the thoracic spine, and she winces with palpation. Neurological examination
reveals no focal deficits, and the patient is able to ambulate without difficulty. An X-ray of the thoracic
spine is obtained, which shows a *wedge-shaped* deformity involving one of the thoracic vertebrae.
Dx?
Tx? - Correct Answer: Compression / Wedge Fracture
Dx? XR usu sufficient
Exams Questions with
Complete Solutions
User [Date] [Course title]
, Radiculopathy sx? - Correct Answer: - LMN dysfunction (affects nerve roots as they exit the spinal cord)
- Weakness
- Hyporeflexia
Myelopathy sx? - Correct Answer: - UMN dysfunction (affects the spinal cord itself)
- Hyperreflexia
- Loss of coordination
- Clonus (spasticity)
Tx of Non-specific LBP - Correct Answer: NSAIDs, education, posture, stretching, PT, ice therapy
Resolves w/i 4-6 wks
A 55-year-old male presents to your primary care clinic with complaints of chronic low back pain that
has been bothering him for the past several months. He describes the pain as dull and achy, primarily
concentrated in the lower back. The pain is *worse in the morning*. There is no history of trauma or
recent injuries. On examination, there is reduced lumbar spine flexibility, and the patient experiences
discomfort during lumbar extension. Neurological examination is unremarkable, with no signs of
radiculopathy. Imaging studies, including X-rays and MRI, reveal *degenerative changes* in the
*intervertebral discs*. - Correct Answer: Spondylosis (local arthropathy)
A *70-year-old postmenopausal* woman presents to the emergency department with a complaint of
sudden-onset mid-back pain. She reports that the pain began after she slipped and fell in her kitchen
earlier in the day. The pain is localized to the thoracic spine and *radiates around her ribs*. On exam,
there is tenderness over the thoracic spine, and she winces with palpation. Neurological examination
reveals no focal deficits, and the patient is able to ambulate without difficulty. An X-ray of the thoracic
spine is obtained, which shows a *wedge-shaped* deformity involving one of the thoracic vertebrae.
Dx?
Tx? - Correct Answer: Compression / Wedge Fracture
Dx? XR usu sufficient
